UEFA Champions League Semis: Top 5 Africans Still Competing After Quarter Finals

UEFA Champions League Semis: Top 5 Africans Still Competing After Quarter Finals

Raphael Abiola
updated at April 19, 2024 at 7:02 AM
In this article:
UEFA Champions League logo
UEFA UCL
Europe
UEFA Champions League logo
UEFA Champions League
Sébastien Haller logo
S.Haller
Borussia Dortmund logoFIvory Coast logo
Achraf Hakimi logo
A.Hakimi
Paris Saint Germain (PSG) logoDMorocco logo
Brahim Díaz logo
B. Díaz
Real Madrid logoMMorocco logo
Noussair Mazraoui logo
N. Mazraoui
Bayern Munich logoDMorocco logo
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting logo
E. M. Choupo-Moting
Bayern Munich logoFCameroon logo
  • The quarter-finals of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League are done
  • Four teams make their way to the semi-finals of the club competition
  • Sports Brief lists the top five African superstars would can lift the UCL

⚽️ Bookmark Sports Brief's Live Football Fixtures; Live Scores; Results and Tables section ⚽️

The quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League was completed on Wednesday, and Africa was duly represented by some of the big football superstars of the continent.

Four teams are through to the semi-finals, while the same number of teams were knocked out of the prestigious European club tournament.

Sport Brief lists the African superstars whose clubs are through to the competition's semi-final.

Sebastien Haller scores his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg match between Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Photo: Jose Manuel Alvarez.
Sebastien Haller scores his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg match between Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund on April 10. Photo: Jose Manuel Alvarez.
Source: Getty Images

African players left in the UCL

1. Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)

The former Real Madrid defender missed PSG's first leg against Barcelona in Paris but returned to the team for the second leg of the tie in Spain.

The Moroccan international proved pivotal, helping the French team win 1-4 against the Spanish giants to book their place in the semi-finals.

2. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich)

The Cameroonian striker was on the bench in both legs of Bayern Munich's quarter-final clash against Arsenal.

The German Bundesliga giants won the tie 3-2 on aggregate to qualify for the next round.

3. Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich)

The Moroccan defender was on the bench when Bayern Munich drew 2-2 against Arsenal in the first leg but played a full 90 minutes in the second leg at the Allianz Arena.

The former Ajax star was deployed as a left fullback due to the absence of Alphonso Davies.

4. Sebastien Haller (Ivory Coast)

The Ivorian striker is one of the reasons Borussia Dortmund will be playing in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over a decade.

The former West Ham United star scored a crucial goal for the German side in their 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg in Spain.

A 4-2 win in Germany overturned that result and secured BVB's qualification to the last four.

5. Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid)

The Moroccan international helped Real Madrid book a place in the semi-finals for the fourth time in a row.

Los Blancos defeated defending champions, Manchester City, on penalties after the two-legged quarter-final tie ended 4-4 on aggregate.

The Moroccan forward featured in both legs of the game as a substitute against his former team.

Bellingham lauds Real Madrid's mentality

Sports Brief also reported on Jude Bellingham lauding Real Madrid's mental strength as they prevailed in a penalty shoot-out, ousting Man City from the Champions League.

The 20-year-old, a key player in Los Blancos' 4-3 victory on penalties, credited their success to coach, Carlo Ancelotti's ability to strengthen resilience under pressure.

Authors
Raphael Abiola photo
Raphael Abiola
Raphael Abiola is a Nigerian Sports Journalist with over five years of experience. He obtained a B.Tech degree in Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 2015.